Does Quiggin even bother reading media sources or does he just make random shit up? A cursory reading of the latest Belmont Club puts paid to his wishful thinking about the US Marines failing to achieve anything in Fallujah.

As before, I'll be happy to be proven wrong on this one, but I don't think you have to look too far to find optimistic predictions that have been as far off the mark as my gloomy expectations about Baghdad, which have partially been realised in the fighting in Fallujah.

Ted Kennedy says, for example, that Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech was the worst mistake in the history of American foreign policy. This will be taken as authoritative and meaningful by lefty commentators everywhere.

I'm sorry if my language seems inappropriate, but my brother is in the Army (he enlisted *after* 9/11), and he may be transferred to a unit shipping to Iraq soon. I'm beginning to take these morons that want us to fail personally.

Thanks for the info. The question about Jack's blog was rhetorical; somewhere in the back of my mind I had an idea to canvas both left- and right-wing blogs that do allow comments to see what it takes to get banned. Then I came to the (subjective) conclusion that there are fewer lefties that allow comments than there are righties. Freedom of speech, all right, as long as it strictly matches what they want to hear...

It just irks me that morons like these are allowed to spew their drivel with no thought to the consequences, all under the guise of "free speech." Maybe the realization that they are not as anonymous as they'd like to think will sink in, and they'll think twice about repeating this behavior.

1. Andrea, I do allow comments on "my" website, which is actually a group blog that I have been delinquent from since I lost faith with the US administration. Since I allow uninhibited comments, it follows that I am not a "coward" towards criticism.

2. David, I sympathise with your "beginning to take these morons that want us to fail personally." Me too, however I wonder what your personal feelings have to do with my political comments? I dont "want" the US to fail, I want you guys to realise that the US has already failed in its Iraq strategy.

Jack is not a coward towards criticism. You should see him when he gets criticized! He'll threaten to rip your heart out and eat it! He is merely a liar who builds false arguments that reach into the absurd and then he defends them by insulting any questioners.

Some of Jack's brilliant points have been that:

-The UN was wrong to sanction Saddam because he didn't have any WMD

-The Left is more supportive of this war than the Right

-The war was a "moral victory" but a "strategic failure" (usually bolstered by unrelated evidence)

I think he fully deserves to be banned, but since any idiot with dial-up can get themselves a new IP and work around a ban, blocking jerks like Strocchi doesn't seem to be effective, especially since it gives them the much desired aura of victimhood to exploit (as Jack is already doing). Looks like we'll have to keep tearing him up each time he pulls out his usual sack of crap... even if that means we risk being called "moral cretins" :O